HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5 smartphone comparison: why both the HTC One M8 and the Galaxy S5 are great cheap phones to buy in 2015

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5 smartphone comparison review

As 2015 flagships start to launch, the HTC One M8 and the Galaxy S5 remain excellent smartphones, now available at a kick-ass low price. We've tested both the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 to help you decide to which to buy in 2014. Here's our Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8 smartphone comparison review.

Both the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 have 5in full HD displays and offer quad-core processing power. Both come with quality cameras and are built to be striking but robust. They will be a good purchase for you that will last for two or three years, despite what the manufacturers will tell you when they launch their next-generation phones.

Both have large batteries and run Android 4.4 KitKat. And both cost around the same. So once you have decided that a 2014 phone is okay for you, how can you choose between the HTC One M8 and the Galaxy S5 from Samsung? In this article we look at key aspects such as performance, specification, storage, display and camera. Ultimately you will have your favourite, but don't choose your next phone without reading PC Advisor's HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5 smartphone comparison.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: UK price and availability

You can now get both the HTC One M8 and the Galaxy S5 smartphones pretty much universally in the UK. The Galaxy S5 is currently selling SIM free online for around £400 and the HTC One M8 can be found marginally cheaper for around £350. Contract deals are broadly similar.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Processor and performance

The HTC One M8 has been given the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. The 801 quad-core chip has a clock speed of 2.3GHz. Memory stays the same at 2GB but that's not a bad thing.

We've spent quite a while with the HTC One M8 and performance is excellent. Adding a user interface onto Android can cause problems, but we couldn't spot any with Sense 6.0.

As well as the Snapdragon 801, HTC adds its own co-processor in much the same way Apple has with the iPhone 5S. This low-power chip keeps sensors switched on for HTC's Motion Launch Gestures, which can be used to switch the phone on. It also can track activity using the pre-loaded Fitbit app so there's less need for a dedicated fitness tracker such as Fitbit's own One.

Here's the crucial point, you will find newer smartphones with faster benchmark scores launched throughout the year. But these two phones will be quicker than almost every phone on the market, and will be plenty fast enough at both general computing and playing games.

And anyway, we can barely think of a word suitable to describe the HTC One M8. In the older Geekbench 2 test, at launch the M8 set a new record of 4171 points outpacing the LG G2 which scored 4085. It also set a great score in the latest Geekbench 3 benchmark at 2781, narrowly missing out on beating the Nexus 5's 2800 haul. A time of just 583ms in SunSpider is incredibly good but it seems no phone can beat the iPhone 5s in this area with its blisteringly fast time of 417ms.

Moving on to graphics and the HTC One M8 performs very well with 30fps in GFXBench 3.0's T-Rex test. The iPhone 5s also wins here with 37fps. In the extremely demanding Manhattan test, the HTC One M8 managed 12fps which is good considering previous phones we've tested have all failed to reach double digits here. Once again, the iPhone 5s sets the bar with 21fps.

Numbers aside - since they only give an indication of performance - the HTC One M8 is one nippy smartphone. We often see Android smartphones with customer user interfaces lagging from the sheer weight of the additional software but this simply isn't the case here. No matter what you ask of the device, it simply takes it and chomps through it like a one-bite canapé.

We're seriously impressed and another thing to note is that the smartphone boots up much faster than others we've seen. It's a minor detail but a good one nevertheless. Fast boot is enabled by default in the power settings but if you should feel the desire to turn it off, you can.

How then does the Galaxy S5 compare? Inside the Galaxy S5 is the kind of high-end specs you'd want to find in a flagship. Like the HTC One M8, the handset has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor which is quad-core but clocked a little higher at 2.5GHz. This is accompanied by a now standard 2GB of RAM, although a handful of devices do have more.

We've hit a point where all flagship smartphones offer excellent performance – it almost goes without saying. They're all running of powerful and efficient processors so we're not surprised to find the Galaxy S5 nippy in day-to-day performance but it's not flawless.

For starters, there is a slight delay between pressing the power or home button and the lockscreen appearing and the same is true when hitting the recent apps button. There's also the fact that the camera app takes a good few seconds to launch and quitting to the homescreen from apps doesn't happen straight away. These are minor gripes but the Galaxy S5 seems slow in these areas compares to rivals which can do these tasks seemingly instantaneously.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Software

This aspect is relatively straightforward, but impossible to call, as both the All New HTC One and the Galaxy S5 come with Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Galaxy S5 will come with Samsung's take on Android 4.4 KitKat. This is Google's most mature and easy-to-use mobile OS, albeit overlaid with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. If you've used a Samsung phone before you'll know what to expect.

From the new HTC One expect Android overlaid with HTC's 'Sense' UI. Again, existing HTC users will know what they like.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Display

Despite numerous rumours of a 5.25in screen, the Galaxy S5's display is only marginally larger than the Galaxy S4's. It's 5.1in and if you were hoping for a new crazy high resolution then you might be disappointed to find out that the Galaxy S5 has a now very standard Full HD display. Of course, it's still Super AMOLED as you would expect from Samsung.

Nevertheless, the display does look brilliant on a number of levels. Of course, it's still Super AMOLED as you would expect from Samsung so colours are vivid and pop out at you and contrast is good, too. As you might presume, the Galaxy S5 offers excellent viewing angles.

The Galaxy S5's display performs better than most outdoors and we found we rarely need to up the brightness to gain visibility. Maximum brightness is good and about level with what we're using to seeing but it's worth noting that the display goes exceptionally dark which could be handy for saving battery or situations like reading in the dark. A handy brightness slider resides in the notification bar but it can be switched off if you prefer.

Smart stay is carried over from the Galaxy S4 and keeps the screen from switching off as long as you're looking at it. By default, the screen is set 'adapt display' which automatically adjust elements like colour gamut, white tone and contrast but you can use other modes which tweak the settings if you prefer: Dynamic, Standard, Professional photo and Cinema.

Flagship smartphones are generally large these days so we're talking 5in and above. This makes them difficult to use one-handed but Samsung has included a special mode which you can enable in the settings menu. A quick swipe into the middle of the screen and back out will launch the one-handed mode. Here you can adjust the size of the interface so it's easy to reach. It's a bit strange but we can see it being helpful to some users.

HTC has decided to increase the screen size for the One M8 from 4.7- to 5in, so there's a little more real estate for whatever you're doing but the difference isn't too noticeable. The screen's resolution, as with rival flagships, remains at Full HD (1920x1080) – perhaps it's just too early to jump to higher pixel counts (if we even need them).

The larger screen size means a dip in pixel density to 441ppi but you're not going to notice. The phone itself is a bit bigger but HTC has done a good job of making it feel like it's the same size.

As with the M7, the HTC One's display is crisp, vibrant and looks stunning. The new panel has an improved contrast ratio and viewing angles.

One thing we particularly like about the M8's screen is its silky gloss finish which, more than other phones, means your finger glides brilliantly across its surface. It's just another detail which makes this phone feel so premium.

These are two stunning smartphone displays. Leaving numbers aside and viewing them side-by-side we can't honestly say that one is better than the other. The Samsung's is marginally better, but the HTC's is great-looking too.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Design and build

The Galaxy S5 retains that recognisable Samsung look. This means not much has changed compared to previous generations and other Galaxy devices. The S5 looks a lot like the Galaxy Note 3 which is a shame because it really requires its own style as a flagship device. Unfortunately it's bigger, squarer and more boring than the Galaxy S5.

It also doesn't feel like a premium smartphone in the hand. A perforated rear cover supposedly makes it feel more natural but we just don't see the benefit here, perhaps we need to live with the device for longer.

A huge design change is that Samsung has added dust- and water resistant credentials. That's something which Sony has been offering for a while now in its Xperia range. The Galaxy S5 has an IP67 rating which means it will happily get wet without frazzling inside. However, you'll need to make doubly sure that the port covers is on and the rear cover is perfectly clipped into place. I'm sure a number of users will get an unwanted surprise when the gaps aren't completely covered.

The Galaxy S5 comes in four colours at launch – black, white (as you might expect) plus blue and something called 'copper gold'. The latter has a kind of peach tone to it in our opinion.

Going on the evidence of all previous Samsung Galaxy phones, the Galaxy S5 will be as robust as will be the 2014 HTC One. Expect both phones to be noticably big, and to combine style and built-to-last build quality. Which you prefer will of course be your own personal choice. Typically most people instinctively prefer HTC's aluminium over Samsung's plastic, however.

The HTC One M8 looks a lot like the original. Once again, the Taiwanese firm has used a uni-body aluminium design but the metal wraps around to the front rather than having a plastic strip around the edge. The corners of the phone are also more rounded. It has a brushed look and has been treated to gain its glossy finish. The device now uses around 90 percent metal compared to the M7's 70 percent. See also: 18 best smartphones: The best phone you can buy in 2014.

A larger screen means that the phone is both taller and wider than its predecessor - predominantly taller - but it doesn't feel too large in the hand. It's also a few grams heavier at 160g compared to 143g, making it one of the weightier flagship smartphones but again, it doesn't feel overly weighty. Instead it has that reassuringly heavy feel to it.

HTC puts design first and you can certainly tell that with the M8 in your hand. It feels like a premium smartphone which is something Samsung has failed to achieve, in our opinion, with the Galaxy S5. The new HTC One is ergonomic, but also sturdy.

This is important because, as well as feeling like a device which has been carefully designed and put together, it doesn't feel overly delicate which is a downside to the iPhone 5S and previous metal versions.

From launch, the M8 itself is available in three different colours. The most popular is likely to be 'Metal Grey' but there's also 'Artic Silver' and 'Amber Gold' – a line-up reminiscent of the iPhone 5S colour options.

The eagle-eyed will already have noticed that HTC has ditched the dedicated navigation buttons in favour of on-screen alternatives.

We think the HTC One M8 looks more classy than does the Galaxy S5, without feeling like you'd need a protective case. The Galaxy S5's plastic build feels more robust, however. But it is a subjective thought. One thing to note is that the HTC One M8 doesn't come with any dust- or waterproof credentials. This may or may not be an important feature to you but if it is you need to go for the Samsung.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Storage

The Galaxy S5 is available in either 16- or 32GB capacities, although it seems to be a classic situation where the larger of the two is like a super rare Pokémon. A microSD card supporting up to 64GB is almost a given nowadays but the Galaxy S5 can take double that at 128GB. Like other Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy S5 also offers 50GB of free Dropbox cloud storage.

It's a good job there is plenty of storage options because like the Galaxy S4, a lot of the Galaxy S5's internal storage is used up before you've even downloaded an app. Our 16GB has just under 10GB available which is less than average.

Despite this we think we'd err toward the Galaxy S5 in this particular respect. The M8 does have a microSD card slot. This was a bugbear with the original HTC One, which had no card slot - HTC said this wasn't possible with the M7's design. The M8 will accept up to 128GB cards, a lot of extra storage.

The bad news is that, in Europe, the HTC One M8 will be available only as a 16GB model. Of that 16GB a fair amount is already taken up with software so you'll get about 10GB of internal storage to play with. As a sweetener, users will be offered 65GB of free Google Drive storage for two years. That's a total of 209GB, (assuming you buy a 128GB microSD card).

The presence of a 32GB option makes Samsung shade this one. Although, again, the options for both are great.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Connectivity

Wireless connectivity is all up-to-date on the Galaxy S5 with 11ac Wi-Fi (MIMO), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, an infrared transmitter, and the latest 4G technology. Samsung has fitted the Galaxy S5 with Cat 4 LTE supporting eight bands and a download booster which uses your Wi-Fi connection to give you a theoretical max download speed of 400Mbps.

Flip over to the new All New HTC One 2 (2014) and you'll also get GSM, 3G and 4G LTE. Stop me if this sounds familiar but we also find 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, NFC and an Infrared port. And yes, microUSB v2.0.

That's two well-connected and pretty well-matched handsets. We can split them for connectivity... yet.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: Cameras

The Galaxy S5 camera has reached a decent 16Mp and has a few new features which catch the eye. Super-fast auto focus means you can take a photo in 0.3 seconds, according to Samsung. We couldn't exactly time this but it does seem to be very nippy. A selective focus mode allows you to choose from three different focal points after you've taken a photo – near, far and pan. Video shoots in 4k resolution like the Galaxy Note 3 which is impressive.

Below the camera is a flash but also a heartrate monitor, making the Galaxy S5 the first smartphone to come with the feature. Place your finger on the sensor and it can read your heartrate in a matter of seconds. This is built into the S Health app and a cool feature for those into fitness.

The original HTC One brought us a different type of camera: one less reliant on sheer weight of megapixels, and able to take better snaps in low-light conditions. With Sense 6.0 in the HTC One M8 the camera app has had a redesign and we like the stylish and minimalist approach. It's easy to use but there are plenty of settings to play with if you're feeling adventurous. They're easy to find if you're looking for them. HTC splits the camera app into different modes with the front camera even labelled as 'selfie'.

The back of the HTC One M8 is home to two camera lenses. HTC calls this the Duo Camera and it's one of the main new features of the smartphone. You might think they are for taking 3D photos, like the old LG Optimus 3D but that's not the case.

The first camera, the one closer to the middle of the phone, is the Ultrapixel camera found on the M7 – with some improvements. According to HTC, the ImageChip 2 means the camera can shoot faster and capture sharper images. And this seems to be true from our preliminary tests (click the images to enlarge).

At 4Mp, there isn't as much detail in photos compared to the M8's rivals such as the Galaxy s5 but becuase its pixels are bigger the phone is better suited to low-light situations.

The second camera is an interesting addition and is there to capture depth information. This 'metadata' is attached to the photo taken with the main camera and can be used later on. Similar to the Lytro camera, the HTC One M8 Duo Camera allows users to refocus a photo after it's been taken.

Unlike the Galaxy S5, which offers three preset focal points, the M8's second sensor means users can refocus anywhere they like. We've had a play with this and it works pretty well, although it's quite difficult not to cover the second les with you finger. Luckily a message pops up on the screen to say you're blocking it.

Video quality is unimpressive. There's no stabilisation and footage wasn't as sharp or detailed as we'd have liked (and certainly not a patch on the Samsung Galaxy S5's video quality).

The Foregrounder app allows you add effects in tandem with the refocusing. A strange 3D effect makes photos come to life in a sort of house of mirrors way – i.e. a gimmick - and you can also cut and paste parts of photos, such as a person, with minimal hassle although again, this is more for creativity than something genuinely handy you'll use regularly.

Like the iPhone 5S, the HTC One M8 has a dual-LED flash. It works reasonably well, but images are still obviously taken using a flash and - in most cases - you won't need it as the Ultrapixel camera does a grand job when there isn't much light around. The image below was lit by only a cooker hood fluorescent bulb. It isn't the greatest photo in the world, but it does show decent white balance and - importantly - a lack of noise.

HTC One M8 vs Galaxy S5: which should I buy?

The Galaxy S5 is fast, well built, full featured. It has a big bright and bold screen, and good cameras, and it offers good storage- and connectivity options. And you could say all of the above about the new 2014 HTC One M8. The Galaxy S5 may offer a better, marginally bigger display, the HTC One M8 may be slightly faster, although you will be hard pressed to notice the difference in either area. Both phones offer interesting new features, and offer their maker's take on the latest Android. Ultimately availability and pricing will determine this battle, as well as the human and subjective response to design, build and interface. If it was me, at this stage I'd probably err toward the HTC One M8. But it really is a personal choice. And both of these phones are a great deal right now - set to get better.

OUR VERDICT

The Galaxy S5 is fast, well built, full featured. It has a big bright and bold screen, and good cameras, and it offers good storage- and connectivity options. And you could say all of the above about the new 2014 HTC One M8. The Galaxy S5 may offer a better, marginally bigger display, the HTC One M8 may be slightly faster, although you will be hard pressed to notice the difference in either area. Both phones offer interesting new features, and offer their maker's take on the latest Android. Ultimately availability and pricing will determine this battle, as well as the human and subjective response to design, build and interface. If it was me, at this stage I'd probably err toward the HTC One M8. But it really is a personal choice. And both of these phones are a great deal right now - set to get better.

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Comments

Mihailo said: Comments,Mihailo,I didn't read a artical but i will say this,Samsung is one peace of sheet and my biggest mistake was the fact that I bought a phone with Android after iPhone. Had android is better speak only people who have not used the iPhone.

Saharish Fida said: Comments,Saharish Fida,i agrree with gluestick

Yoel Navon said: Comments,Yoel Navon,I had a Samsung Galaxy S3 for the last 2 years and have been constantly suffering from it. The initial set had slow-downs that made me replace it after a day. The second one worked well for a few months until a major update (that was forced on me) that made the device freeze 3-4 times a day, necessitating removing the back plate and buttery. That continued for about a month, and while the freezes are gone, I have constant slow downs and general unresponsiveness. Additionally, the camera always had problems taking videos in which it would freeze for a second or two, something which was later reflected in the playback. I also dislike the UI and find it un-intuitive. I can't see myself buying a Samsung smart phone in the foreseeable future. I've never had an HTC mobile, but have just ordered the M8 which should arrive tomorrow. Hopefully it'll perform better than the S3.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I agree with the last bit 100%. We'll be updating this piece next week when the HTC One is announced.

IP said: Comments,IP,I agree, this is a very strange article. It claims to be a review/preview of the Samsung S5 and HTC New One but it starts out by being biased towards the Samsung S5. Each of the chapters in the review seem to be a draw or tell the reader to make their own personal choice. The only clear chapter would be if you prefer plastic or metal casing. The plastic does look and feel cheaper, at least it does to most people.If anything the reviewer would have leaned towards HTC New One or said it was too close to call, based on the review chapter points.I find it odd that the waterproof ability of the Samsung isn't mentioned. Some will really want that.I think it's too close to call and would advise that people try them out in a store that has both phones side by side.

Guest said: Comments,Guest,The head line simply says that the Samsung Galaxy S5 was not as much of an upgrade as people were expecting, and now people are looking at HTC.

archaictext said: Comments,archaictext,Exactly. And to what bsr said, it's not hard to carry extra (tiny) batteries when you know you might need them.

archaictext said: Comments,archaictext,Actually, the headline clearly states that the galaxy s5 "underwhelms". How is that favorable?

Dennis Persaud said: Comments,Dennis Persaud,I wish I can but I don't know how to JUMBO up my fount .. You bet I would have If I could have ..OH YEA

Tony said: Comments,Tony,Really funny how some people have the same phone and get different results! I have the s4 and have no problem, my wife has the htc one and hates it! The s4 has a better camera is faster when we compare them! The only thing I like better on the htc one is the speakers. Since htc is in financial trouble they better come out with something fantastic or they may be the next Blackberry!

rose maryawn said: Comments,rose maryawn,My Uncle Michaelrecently got a stunning black Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL63 AMG only from workingpart time off a home pc. navigate to this web-site J­u­m­p­9­9­9­.­ℂ­o­m

Naworb McGee said: Comments,Naworb McGee,Doesn't make me change my mind. HTC One had a Google Play Edition too. The build quality is what I care about.

asdf said: Comments,asdf,i personally own a samsung phone and imo it sucks. i can't wait to get rid of it. but to each his own. others might like it.

Baran Bahari said: Comments,Baran Bahari,I did not see any real compare... this article was a show without real advises!

lewy255 said: Comments,lewy255,it wont have 2k display also i think its very pssible to see a 3.7ah battery

rob damiani said: Comments,rob damiani,BOTH phones will be available in Google Play Editions!

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,Quite deliberately, my friend. That's the way to which people are referring to it.

bobbyp said: Comments,bobbyp,You might wan to proof your article a little more. In some instances you refer to the HTC One 2 and other The all new HTC One.

Chiv said: Comments,Chiv,I feel I have to chime in the battery spec debate, the TouchWiz overlay (I'm an S3 owner) is both "laggy" and a battery leech. I rooted my S3 and put Cyanogen's KitKat on my phone and battery life increased by at least 50%. From what I've seen of my wife's HTC One Mini the HTC Sense overlay looks better and performs better in terms of battery performance. Seems to me the article is biting off more than it can chew when both phones aren't available to fully test, but an informative read all the same.

Jenn S said: Comments,Jenn S,I hate having to cover mine with an Otterbox but since my son is constantly playing on my phone, my only choices were install an otterbox or replace the shattered screen when he inevitably drops it. (The otterbox has saved me quite a bit of money since my son has dropped my phone dozens of times)

Jenn S said: Comments,Jenn S,My husband has the s4 and I have the One. My One outperforms my husband's s4 in every possible way. The One is faster, snappier, takes better pictures and videos, the sound is amazing... I could go on and on. My husband steals my One every time he wants to watch videos, take pictures, listen to music... I guess you haven't used them both and you're just making assumptions based on what you've heard from the Samsung bandwagon.

Jenn S said: Comments,Jenn S,Exactly. My husband has the S4 and it is very laggy and also does not connect to mobile data occasionally, even though I'll have a perfect connection. I have the HTC One and it's snappy, connects in even the poorest conditions, and is beautiful in every way :-) I had all HTC phones but went to the S3 because it was supposed to be the greatest phone ever. I disliked Samsung's TouchWiz very much and was disappointed with the performance. When the One came out I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I haven't been disappointed yet. The battery life is great, the screen resolution is gorgeous and I can't wait for the One2 to come out.

omer said: Comments,omer,Matt all galaxy s4 phones ive seen are slow for day to day usage especially after couple of months. Htc one never lags. Is it just coincidence? Please shed some light as it would enhance my knowledge about the s4...

omer said: Comments,omer,Same here bro, i just cant figure out why samsung phones are labled as super fast as all galaxy s4 ive seen lag on day to day usage where as htc one does not lag a bit...maybe its coincidence?

omer said: Comments,omer,My wife has had two galaxy s4 phones and they both lag, and after a few months they started to lag even more in normal daya to day usage. However htc one has not lagged since day one, perfect phone.... How and why is everyone saying galaxy s4 is super fast... Or is it coincidence that every galaxy s4 handset ive seen does lag in day to day usage

Tom Kelsall said: Comments,Tom Kelsall,Clickbait... and damn I fell for it. Comparing a never-reviewed phone against a phone which doesn't exist. WTF.

bsr said: Comments,bsr,Define 'quality'.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,The publish date and the opening paragraphs make it clear what the article is and what it isn't. Removing it will do nothing but create a 404. But I take your point and if I can find time I'll do an interim update.

bsr said: Comments,bsr,Understood. I certainly can't complain about the speed of your replies! Glad to read that there might be a post-MWC update which I will look forward to. I'm looking forward even more to the One M8 reveal; I have an HTC One S which still runs smoothly after 2 years but is woefully short of storage. I am really hoping the rumours of MicroSD card support for the One M8 are true. Guess we'll ALL have to wait and see...

bobbyp said: Comments,bobbyp,Why would leave a fictitious article up on your site for a month waiting for HTC to make an announcement. You may be critical of punctuation in your comments but please get your facts straight first.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I refer you to my previous response. I will update this article. I have said that clearly, and repeatedly. And, by the way, I'm right here answering all the comments made. But if we responded to every one of our readers at exactly the moment they demanded, I'm not sure we'd ever get anything done!

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I never mentioned lawyers! I'd delete your comment before I worried about any nonsense like that. (Samsung isn't known for its restraint in that regard, mind you. And they do care about sites with 10m readers). I do reserve the right to defend my professional reputation. This is my real name and photo, after all. As I say, most of your comment is sensible. And if I can find time after MWC is over I will update the article with an interim post. In the mean time the publish date and the opening paragraphs make it clear what this article is, and what it isn't.

bsr said: Comments,bsr,A quick skim through all the comments and there seems to be a common view that an early update would be appropriate. I shall say no more.

bsr said: Comments,bsr,You have to remember to carry the spare with you at all times though, don't you?

bsr said: Comments,bsr,Ooer. Libel. Nasty. Sorry. Joke in poor taste. Lawyers stand down. Can't understand why you don't do an interim update to the piece. It shouldn't be difficult? To leave it with inaccuracies will surely invite others also to think the unthinkable?By the way, for what it is worth, I have followed your work for a while and rate you highly. (did I say sorry? Sorry).

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,Ah. You were doing so well. And then you had to spoil it.
I accept fully that the headline is partial - intentionally so. But you should know that the headline is the last thing written. It reflects the piece as written. I have no axe to grind either way, but having compared the *rumoured* spec I erred toward the Samsung. I will of course update the article when the New HTC One is detailed. In the mean time, thanks for asking, I am mildly whelmed by the S5 as announced. The proof is always in the testing of course, but I will now be even more interested in HTC's announcement. Now here's where I have a problem with your post: after being reasonable throughout, you had to finish with a comment that is detrimental to my professional standing, and the good name of both my employer and that of Samsung. I've been doing this for more than a decade, and I have never engaged in corrupt practice. This article is my independent work, and to hint that I am somehow in the pay of Samsung is libellous. I'd appreciate an apology.

bsr said: Comments,bsr,Matt, there seems to be a pattern here: someone disagrees with your article; you refute it and then go on to question their punctuation or grammar. Frankly, it’s a bit unseemly and beneath you. Don’t do it.Regarding the shout-outs of bias in your piece, I think nailing your Samsung colours to the mast so prominently in the article heading, shows some lack of objectivity. When you wrote the original piece, we were not dealing in facts here; your conclusion must have been what you ‘wanted’ to see in the top spot. Out of interest, now that the facts ARE known on the S5 side (and some specs are disappointingly short of your predictions), does it change your initial view? I see that you plan to update the article only once the HTC One M8 spec is revealed (one month away). So, you’re going to leave the article in an even more biased state than it was before, are you? Are you sure none of that $14Billion Samsung marketing spend came your way?

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I love that 'fanboisim' is now 'writing something with which I disagree'. For the record, I have never owned either a Samsung nor an HTC smartphone. I had the original Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet (and it was a dog).

Andy Cohen said: Comments,Andy Cohen,Most people are seeing through the thin veil of this article and recognising the pure Samsung fanboism. Why wait until after the HTC announcement and leave this article here for another MONTH with all its inaccuracies. I know I certainly won't be using PC Advisor for any comparisons in the future!

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I'll be updating the article when we have HTC specs. And I'd ask you to show me the bias.

Andy Cohen said: Comments,Andy Cohen,I think you should retract the bold 'why you should choose the Galaxy S5' statement in your headline to maintain some credibility, since your facts in the article are largely completely incorrect!

Andy said: Comments,Andy,What a biased article! All on speculation and rumoured specifications, and now that the Samsung S5 has been officially announced, it turns out that the specs are far lower than was assumed in this article (2GB RAM not 3GB, lower resolution display etc).

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I really do fail to see how this piece promotes fear, uncertainty and doubt. But then I know how to use question marks. Let's see how the new HTC comes out, and I'll update the piece.

illregal said: Comments,illregal,How does it feel to know you've already failed so hard in your assumptions after the s5 was announced. The m8 is going to dominate in every aspect. Pull your head out your ass and stop spreading this pro Samsung FUD.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I will of course update after the HTC announcement.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I will of course update after the HTC announcement.

Steve S. said: Comments,Steve S.,Perhaps you should revisit the specs now to see how incorrect your hardware assumptions were on the S5. I'll hold off on passing judgement until we see some actual facts from HTC on the M8.

Judgemental said: Comments,Judgemental,But most of your specs were wrong now that it has been announced. Maybe you can slide in an update.

Jim said: Comments,Jim,Samsung Galaxys are one of the most crapiest devices I've ever used. I've had S2, 3 &amp; 4 and the hardware are so cheap looking and they all went bad prior to end of my contracts. The HTC one I had purchased years ago is still kicking while all the samsung galaxy i had are rendered unusable. All Samsung devices will be on my list to "Never buy again" forever!

bsr said: Comments,bsr,Matt, I have doubts about the value of the piece too, but enjoyed your phones' spec speculation. I'm sure Roy will agree that you should learn about the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'."...It's also worth considering the fact that the Samsung TouchWiz and HTC Sense overlays on Android will effect performance."

Epic Tea said: Comments,Epic Tea,I completely disagree, after the first camera update it has been amazing for me, you must not have a clue how to take photos, give yourself time to learn the camera software and how it works, every phones camera is different.

Epic Tea said: Comments,Epic Tea,the black bar is fine on the Current One, especially on the black model, but if they add software keys it is a waste of space, I purchased the Black Model and the abr is very well hidden and lost in the color, but this would be a epic fail on htc's part, I am just crossing my fingers hoping their is no bar.

Epic Tea said: Comments,Epic Tea,I love the feel of cold Aluminum on my Naked HTC One early in the morning, I will never understand why anyone would cover up such a beautiful device with an ugly case.

Epic Tea said: Comments,Epic Tea,I agree, Only one device ever gave me more than 1 day of use. When I had the Lg G2 I would get 1 1/2 - 2 days easily even with heavy use, every other device I barley got 10 hours.
I have had the Galaxy S2, Galaxy S4, HTC One, Note 2, Moto X, LG G2, iphone 5 and now I am back to the HTC One but I am coping with battery.
Oh and every single device lagged except the Moto X and HTC One, and I didn't even flash a rom on them but I did so on all the other devices and they still lagged and had crappy battery.

Epic Tea said: Comments,Epic Tea,I have owned both the Galaxy S4 and HTC One and their both great devices. But the the HTC One imo is the better device, the features like Zoe and others are actually useful, why most are gimmicks on the Gs4, Also sense 5 is super smooth, my GS4 was smooth but lagged from time to time, my One never lags. Still rocking the black one, this has definitely made me a fan of HTC, never was before, I just hope they can make a comeback or I will have to go Nexus, or do the unthinkable and switch to a iphone, because most other android devices don't impress me.
I like my One so much I have yet to root it or flash a rom, and I am usually one of those who swear by stock android and nexus devices. Lets just say I don't plan on getting a new phone anytime soon unless the 2nd Gen Htc One (m8) turns out to be that much better, or if I get a hankering to buy the Nexus 5.

Techboy said: Comments,Techboy,I think the leaked pictures are the new HTC One Mini, the phone looks quite narrow just like the current HTC One Mini...

Mike Thaler said: Comments,Mike Thaler,I'm ready, after 4 years w. my BB9700, to get a new phone. Just use it for business (email, maps, some Pandora,parking meter payment app, calendar etc.) In th time, wife has had an older HTC (when they still had replaceable battery and SD card) and now an S4. Since I am totally dependant on a phone that works, can't take a chance on a phone going dead like an HTC is bound to do at the end of the day. I'll admit the HTC is better built than the Samsung. BTW, since phones outlive the usefulness of a battery (2 yrs?) - do you have to send phone back to a service center for a replacement and be w.o. your everyday phone for some amount of time?

Biggsy said: Comments,Biggsy,Actually, Samsung currently is the ONLY company who's flashship android has a removable battery. The reason I have my samsung phone is because of this alone - not because of a sheep mentality. My phone even has a seperate charger that came with a spare battery - I literally never have to stop using my phone because of battery life.

Guest said: Comments,Guest,Can I be the one to say that adding a fingerprint scanner is not evolutionary. Come on guys, I think we learned from the iPhone 5S that nobody really cares for fingerprint scanners. While they are a cool feature, they are just too gimmicky. I think the world needs something more than a fingerprint scanner to win them over. No hate to Samsung or HTC however, as I love both companies and look forward to seeing and using both phones for myself. Although I'm looking forward to the future when phone companies actually start to be really creative with their designs. Taking risks is sometimes a good thing when it comes to the design of phones.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,There's an element of truth in that, but only if your dinosaur vs fish article went in to great detail about the spec for each - and if consumers were going to be making a choice between the two this summer.

BODYBAG1973 said: Comments,BODYBAG1973,Why would anyone write such a ridiculous article, you might as well have wrote "who would win a fight between a T - Rex and a White shark . CONJECTURE ALL.

heavenshitman1 said: Comments,heavenshitman1,One remark I'd like to make about build quality between Samsung and HTC. Samsung usually make the plastic phones, and as far as the S5 comparison, will assume a plastic one for comparison (a metal phone will cost you more anyways). But my partner bought an S4. A few months old, dropped it on concrete pavers (why they insist on silky smooth surfaces, I have no idea, how about some grip!?). Her screen is shattered. Quoted a $300 AU repair job. Some can argue getting a cover/case for it, but this is blowing out the weight and dimension factors of the phone as well as added cost. I however have my HTC Sensation, it has been dropped on every surface a 1000 times over, stepped on, bounced. Dragged across asphalt. It's dented up nicely, but still fully intact. I appreciate my HTC for that reason alone. And will likely get the HTC ONE 2 on launch. Admittedly my touch screen a few months ago on the Sensation has gone semi-malfunctional making the phone very difficult and slow to use, but that is due to various other factors I think as well. Wet paper being jammed in the USB port, being hooked up to an incorrect charger, sent the phone going blitz, heavy rain dousing the phone etc... its definitely done it's excessive share of abuse

Tyler Kirchman said: Comments,Tyler Kirchman,But it most likely be pentile

BlueAndWhiteOwl said: Comments,BlueAndWhiteOwl,It's 'affect' otherwise it should say "Sense overlays on Android will have an effect on performance"

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,I dispute that, but I can live with your accusation. You should learn about punctuation though.

roy said: Comments,roy,Article is biased hahaha so easy to tell and writing an article that rates samsung s5 higher just because of mere specifications is so superficial

Dennis Persaud said: Comments,Dennis Persaud,HAHAHA .. Man I hope they make some changes before launch day. I would hate to see HTC fail.Let's hope they see your views and lets hope they think about all the HTC fan and give the fan what they need and not what they want to give

Glenn said: Comments,Glenn,Thinking effect is fine because of past tense

ben moliere said: Comments,ben moliere,The quality of the pictures taken from my old HTC One S is far clearer than that of my wife's S4. That is 8 mega pixel out doing 12. So at the end of the day number of megapixel is crap. The quality of the sensors are what matters. And with the new double sensor upgrade, I doubt that the 16 Gazillion megapixels of the S% will be anything worth talking about in comparison.

ben moliere said: Comments,ben moliere,Dennis, I agree. I am a big HTC fan and has been since their early days with the T-Mobile Dash... That darn think drive me crazy. What they should have done was use the HTC logo as the new home on screen button and use the other two "back" and "recent" on either sides of it. That would have been cool, save space and a nice point for a commercial "with HTC you are Home." But they obviously did not read my comments before their final decisions hahahah

ben moliere said: Comments,ben moliere,Agreed, my old HTC One S (T-Mobile USA) puts my wife's S4 to shame in pics quality, battery performance, ease of use, And frankly the interface of HTC is much more manageable...

cod65 said: Comments,cod65," Sense overlays on Android will effect performance. " Is this a British thing or should it be 'affect' ?

bobby said: Comments,bobby,It won't the 805 isn't even ready for prime time yet.

bobby said: Comments,bobby,I wish I had the source to link to it but the article has several specs wrong. Mostly the S5 processor. The 805 will not be available until the middle of the year so both of these phones will be 1080P and have the technical abilities of last years LG G2.

Scooby said: Comments,Scooby,How come the galaxy S5 get released earlier with the snapdragon 805, and the HTC M8 doesn't?

BartNY said: Comments,BartNY,How can you possibly compare phones without mentioning battery life or specs? All these features are useless if my phone dies after 4 hours of little to moderate use (i have to keep my S3 constantly charged or carry 2 spare batteries with me at all times.)
Samsung has FAILED at the battery game but they've somehow managed to tap into the sheep mentality that Apple has, and have people just buy their crap, regardless of how inferior their products are. Good for them.
And thanks to blog posts like this, the sheep march on.

itme said: Comments,itme,Sorry but everyone who had a htc Phone don't ever want a piece of shit like Samsung, cause HTC owns Samsung as the One is the best Phone ever made. U think the S5 will beat that? In your dreams....

gphillimo said: Comments,gphillimo,HTC needs to get rid of this whole ultra pixels BS. The HTC One camera sucks, and so will this one. Or these two

bsr said: Comments,bsr,Arrgh! you're still doing it!

bsr said: Comments,bsr,@AnthonyJohnson - You can believe what Samsung tells you in their $14BILLION marketing spend - yes that's how much they spent last year alone on marketing for the gullible (4 times more than Apple and Microsoft combined). That marketing spend included paying people to leave negative views of their rival's superior product. Yes the S4 sold in the millions, but sadly for Samsung, all that marketing clout was not reflected in the dozens of 'best in class' smartphone awards picked up by the HTC One - to say it swept the board last year, would be an understatement! Have you used an HTC One alongside an S4? Have you held an HTC One in your hand and realised what 'premium' feels like compared with the lovely plastic S4? Have you HEARD the amazing stereo sound of the HTC One's pair of forward-facing speakers? If you like the retina-burning 'nursery' colour-scheme of the S4 user interface rather than the more subdued and (I think tastefully understated) HTC Sense UI, then that's fine. It's a taste thing.I guess it's entirely a coincidence that the new S5 is going to be offered in an all-metal body too? Bottom line is, don't believe everything you see in the adverts and the many 'advertorials' about the S4 and S5.Oh yes, HTC's also have spell-checkers - suggest you hunt through the Samsung bloatware on your S4 to turn it on before your next post. Just sayin'

Dennis Persaud said: Comments,Dennis Persaud,Ok so what the point ..Why did you even bother to reply ..

Naworb McGee said: Comments,Naworb McGee,Why all the yelling? I automatically ignore any response that's in all caps. Sentences end in a single period, not 2 or 3.

Matt Egan said: Comments,Matt Egan,Different strokes!

Dennis Persaud said: Comments,Dennis Persaud,OH WELL THEY NEED TO REMOVE THE BIG BLACK STRIPE FROM BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN INCLUDING THE HTC LOGO ..AND ANOTHER THING QUIT BRINGING THEIR FLAGSHIP PHONE WITH SPECS FROM 6 MTHS BEFORE LAUNCH DATE AND THEN MAYBE THEY WILL STAND A CHANCE ..TRUST ME I AM A HARD CORE USER OF HTC PHONES BUT EVERY YEAR THIS IS WHAT HAPPEN THEY FAIL AT SOME POINT ..AS WE ALL KNOW NO ONE BUILD PHONES LIKE HTC ... NOW I AM TURNING TO LG COS I AM TIRED OF HTC...SO MANY MISS FRIGGING OPPORTUNITY ..

Naworb McGee said: Comments,Naworb McGee,I disagree. I much prefer the One to the S4, and will likely have the same opinion of the M8 over the S5. Can't stand touch-wiz.

Hk Singh said: Comments,Hk Singh,The is no resolution of pixels by the naked eye beyond 300 ppi...But 550ppi would definitely look richer and better than its rivals. Especially since it is amoled

McRimmoney_cricket said: Comments,McRimmoney_cricket,Could be a 5.5 inch display, yet they love their own logo a tad too much.

Anthony Johnson said: Comments,Anthony Johnson,I think there is no need to compare the Smasung Galaxy S5 with HTC M8 as most of us are already familiar that Samsung which is now a worldleader in producing the best in class android phones are already ahead form HTCwhich is a Taiwan based firm. The golden days of HTC in Smartphone market areover now!